The Basic High School baseball team, reigning Class 5A state champion, has been removed from the Southern Region playoffs on the day its postseason was set to begin, according to the NIAA bracket.
The Wolves, who went 18-8 overall and 10-0 in the 5A Desert League, had been the No. 1 seed. Their name on the bracket now reads “vacant.” They were scheduled to face Faith Lutheran at 4 p.m. Thursday in a winners bracket second-round game.
Neither the NIAA, the Clark County School District, nor Basic officials have explained the reason for the removal. The Review-Journal received a statement from Ashley Sisolak, legal counsel for the players and parents.
“The players and families of the Basic Academy varsity baseball team are outraged by the unjust decision to disqualify the team from state playoffs on the very day of competition begins,” the statement said. “This action was taken without notice, without any opportunity to respond, and without a fair investigation. It punishes an entire team of student athletes — kids who did nothing wrong — for an alleged issue involving a single player. This is fundamentally unfair.”
The statement called for an immediate pause of the playoffs to allow a proper review. “We respect the role of the NIAA and CCSD but fairness and due process are not optional,” it added. “These athletes earned their place on the field. They deserve the chance to complete — and to be treated justly.”
This is the second time in three years Basic has missed the postseason for off-field reasons. In 2024, the Wolves forfeited league games due to an ineligible player and failed to qualify.
With Basic out, Faith Lutheran advances to a Saturday contest against Centennial. In the losers bracket, Coronado — originally scheduled to face the Basic-Faith Lutheran loser — moves on to a Saturday elimination game.
